Get Connected!

MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals
news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on
every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service,
MASN has got all the bases covered.

Harper could move up in order, Rizzo OK with current roster

Davey Johnson was asked if he's been impressed with how calm Bryce Harper has been in his first few days in the majors.

"I wouldn't call him calm. He's energetic," Johnson said, before cracking a smile. "I'm thinking about getting a PRP from him and getting some of that blood in me."

Not sure that's exactly how the platelet rich plasma treatment works, but the Nationals skipper's joke drew laughs from the assembled media.

Johnson said he isn't looking too far down the road in trying to determine how long Harper will be with the Nationals or what he needs to do to prove he's deserving of staying with the big league club.

"I think he belongs here right now," he said. "He fits. Gives more of a left-handed presence in the lineup, which we've been looking for. The only thing that I've been thinking about, really, is how long I hit him seventh."

If Harper continues to swing the bat the way he did in his first two games while the rest of the Nats lineup keeps struggling, it'll be hard for Johnson to rationalize not moving Harper up in the order, even if, as he pointed out, there are guys with the potential to hit 15-20 homers littered throughout his lineup.

Meanwhile, Mike Rizzo said today that while the Nats have been scuffling at the plate and have suffered a couple injuries in the bullpen, he isn't making an effort to upgrade the roster externally, either by making a trade or adding a free agent.

"We feel with the guys that we have that are coming back (from the disabled list), that we're not making a push to look outside for offense or bullpen or anything," Rizzo said. "We're satisfied, we like the club that we have, we just need to get healthy. And in the meantime, we need to continue to play good baseball and execute better offensively and continue pitching and playing defense."